Ticket to Learn: The First Year as an Electrical Apprentice

Feb 10, 2021

By Darci Spiteri 

This past month marked one year since stepping onto a job site and starting my electrical apprenticeship. Little did I know 2020 would throw in some curveballs, but it was a pretty fantastic year for self-development when I sit back and reflect. 

Enter Pandemic, worldwide lockdowns, and my Jobsite shutting down for a month. Losing hours was a downside and with my apprenticeship being based on the number of hours worked, moving onto my second year will take a little extra time. 

Nonetheless, I have a year of experience and want to share that. It was helpful when I was researching trades to find stories like these. They inspired me and gave me a glimpse into the world that is construction. Without them, I don’t think I would have embarked on this journey. I am grateful for that and have made an effort to continue to advocate for the trades.

So what did my year look like?

When I look back on the year, I see someone who contributed to a team and was a valuable member. Someone who was scared sometimes but tried things and learned to ask for help when needed. Someone who did a ton of clean-up and running around getting material for the Journeyman. Someone who fell A LOT but always laughed and got back up. (not a metaphor, I did fall a lot) 

There were hard days, there were great days, there were dark days, there were defeating days, but all of these days were learning days.

For anyone that may be contemplating a career change but thinking it would be too outrageous. I did it and am very glad I did. For anyone needing some inspiration, I hope this helps. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or advice or to say hi. I am always happy to share my experience so far in the trades.

I found it hard to sum up my year in one article so check back in the coming weeks for a more in depth look at some of my learning.

Darci Spiteri is an apprentice with IBEW. Learn more about her journey and advocacy for the trade on her website www.sparks2sparkles.com

Darci started on her electrical journey in 2018, when she received the Second Career Grant. She started a Pre-Apprentice Program at The Centre for Skilled Trades in Burlington, Ontario. After graduating from the 5-month program, she set out to find a sponsor for her Apprenticeship. She worked with an electrician for a bit before finding the intake with the IBEW in Hamilton. In May of 2019 she was accepted into the Apprenticeship program and was the only female in her intake. There was a bit of time on the “Ready to Work” list but by January 2020 she was called in to officially start her apprenticeship.

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